The Springboks start the European leg of the Nations Championship against Italy in Turin on Saturday, 7 November. They are unbeaten in the new tournament after three wins in July, IOL Sport reported.
South Africa must finish first in the Southern Hemisphere group to play in the final. New Zealand are level with them on 15 points, so every match in November matters.
After Italy, the Boks play France at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis on Friday, 13 November. They then face Ireland at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on Saturday, 21 November.
Rassie Erasmus’ side took the maximum 15 points from 15 in July. They beat England 45 to 21 in Johannesburg and Scotland 42 to 28 in Pretoria. They then beat Wales 43 to 0 in Durban.
All three wins came with a bonus point. New Zealand matched that record with home bonus point wins over France, Italy and Ireland.
The All Blacks beat France 34 to 32, Italy 47 to 17 and Ireland 40 to 21. That also left them on 15 points.
South Africa hold a small edge on points difference. The Boks are on plus 81, while New Zealand are on plus 51.
New Zealand play Scotland, Wales and England in November. According to IOL Sport, three wins for the Boks, ideally with bonus points, will secure top spot if they keep their lead on points difference.
A loss to France or Ireland could let New Zealand move above South Africa. The Boks would then drop to the playoff for third or fourth place.
In the northern group, France led after the July round with 12 points. Scotland had 11 points, while England and Ireland had 10 points each.
World Rugby, the Six Nations unions and SANZAAR created the tournament. It replaced the old mid-year tours and November Test windows with one global title.
The 12 top Test nations are split into two groups of six. The northern group has England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales.
The southern group has Argentina, Australia, Fiji, Japan, New Zealand and South Africa. Teams do not play sides from their own group.
Each nation plays all six teams from the other group. Three matches are played in July and three in November.
A win earns 4 points and a draw earns 2 points. Teams can also earn try and losing bonus points.
The trophy goes to the winner of the final between the top northern team and the top southern team. If the final is tied after 80 minutes, it goes to golden point extra time. A goal kicking contest follows if needed.
There is also a separate hemisphere title across all six finals weekend matches. The final is worth 2 points and each playoff win is worth 1 point. The first hemisphere to reach 4 points wins.
All 12 nations will travel to London for the Nations Championship Finals Weekend, which runs from 27 to 29 November.
Source: this article is based on reporting by IOL Sport. Image: IOL Sport. Written with the help of AI and published by the Tzaneen Voice Sports desk. See our Editorial Standards.
Tiyani Mathebula writes about sport for Tzaneen Voice. Tiyani covers Bafana Bafana, the Springboks, the Proteas and the PSL, along with athletics, tennis and local club sport. Match reports and previews focus on results, team news, fixtures and what each game means for South African teams and fans.